J. N. 'Jack' LELLYET, 2-Lieutenant, SAAF

Killed in Action, Korea, 20 February, 1952

2/Lieut. Jack Lellyet was No. 2 to Captain Leathers, who together with No. 3 and No. 4 were briefed to undertake a training mission.

Prior to take-off they received a complete briefing on the mission, which was to be a simulated interdiction strike on a rail bridge over a river. The arrived over the area and Leathers formed the flight into Echelon Port, and after calling "No. 1 Going in" carried out his dive bombing attack.

They had been at approximately 10,500 when he initiated his 60 degree dive attack, pulling out at 3000 ft. Having completed his recovery, Leathers looked back at the target to see an explosion short of the target and one-half mile to the starboard. No. 3, Lt. Austin, called by R/T to report "No. 2 has gone in." Capt. Leathers returned to the crash site, and instructed No. 3 and No. 4 to return to base while he carried out a search of the scene, which revealed no movement on the ground. There was speculation that Lt. Lellyet may have initially failed to use the excess fuel from the Mustang's fuselage tank, which would result in a heavy aft-center-of-gravity condition.

Lieutenant Lellyet's body was recovered and was buried in the United Nations Cemetery at Pusan.